The Battle of Gibeon - Conquest of the South of Canaan - The Battle of Merom - Conquest of the North of

Canaan - State of the land at the close of the seven-years' war.

(JOSHUA 10-12)

THE surrender of Gibeon would fill the kings of Southern Canaan with dismay. It was, so to speak, treason

within their own camp; it gave Israel a strong position in the heart of the country and within easy reach of

Jerusalem; while the possession of the passes leading from Gibeon would throw the whole south of Canaan

open to their incursion. In the circumstances it natural that the chieftains of the south would combine, in the

first place, for the retaking of Gibeon. The confederacy, which was under the leadership of Adoni-Zedek,105

king of Jerusalem,  106 embraced Hoham,  107 King of Hebron (about seven hours' south of Jerusalem); Piram,  108

king of Jarmuth, the present Jarmuk, about three hours' to the south-west of Jerusalem; Japhia,109 king of

Lachish, and Debir,110 king of Eglon, both cities close to each other, and not far from Gaza, to the south-

west of Hebron.

The march of the combined kings was evidently rapid, and the danger pressing, for it seems to have found

the Gibeonites wholly unprepared, and their entreaty to Joshua for immediate succor was of the most urgent

kind. That very night Joshua marched to their relief with "all the people of war, that is, the mighty men of

valor." 111

The relieving army came upon the enemy as "suddenly" as they had appeared in sight of Gibeon. It was

probably very early in the morning when Joshua and his warriors surprised the allied camp. Gibeon lay in the

east, surrounded, as in a semicircle, north, west, and south, by its three confederate cities. The five kings

had pushed forward within that semicircle, and camped in the "open ground at the foot of the heights of

Gibeon." Animated by the assurance which God had expressly given Joshua: "Fear them not: for I have

delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee," the host of Israel fell upon

them with an irresistible rush. The Canaanites made but a short stand before their unexpected assailants;

then fled in wild confusion towards the pass of Upper Beth-horon, "the house of caves." They gained the

height before their pursuers, and were hurrying down the pass of the Nether Beth-horon, when a fearful

hailstorm, such as not unfrequently sweeps over the hills of Palestine, burst upon them. It was in reality "the

Lord" who, once more miraculously employing natural agency, "cast down great stones from heaven upon

them;" "and they were more which died from the hailstones than they whom the children of Israel slew with

the sword." 112

It was but noon; far behind Israel in the heaven stood the sun over Gibeon, and before them over Ajalon in

the west hung the crescent moon. The tempest was extinguishing day and light, and the work was but half

done. In the pass to Nether Beth-horon Israel might be readily divided; at any rate, the enemy might escape

before their crushing defeat had assured safety to Gibeon, and given the south of Palestine to Israel. Now,

or never, was the time to pursue the advantage. Oh, that the sun would once more burst forth in his

brightness; oh, that the all too short day were protracted "until the people had avenged themselves upon

their enemies!" Then it was that Joshua burst into that impassioned prayer of faith, which is quoted in the

sacred text from the "Book of Jasher," - or "Book of the Pious," - apparently, as we infer from 2 Samuel 1:18,

a collection of poetical pieces, connected with the sublimest scenes in the history of the heroes of the

kingdom of God. In this instance the quotation begins, as we take it, Joshua 10:12, and ends with ver. 15.

This is proved by the insertion in ver. 15 of a notice, which in the historical narrative occurs only in ver. 43.

For it is evident that Joshua did not return to Gilgal immediately after the battle of Gibeon (ver. 21), but

pursued the war as described in the rest of ch. 10, till the whole south of Palestine was reduced. Thus verses

12-15 are a quotation from "the Book of the Pious," inserted within the Book of Joshua, the narrative of

which is resumed in ver. 16. The quotation reads as follows: